


If You Leave Me

by TheiaHexe



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Angst, Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 18:06:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6089515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheiaHexe/pseuds/TheiaHexe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm spending my dying breaths telling a man that gives no shits about me that I'm in love with him. Great way to use up my time down here, right?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> Based on jara257's [post](http://officialpharma.co.vu/post/139751918719/i-wanted-to-make-a-proper-comic-based-off-this)

"So, uh, at this point... Yeah, I've pretty much accepted that you're not coming back."  
  
Rhys gave an inadvertent, shuddering breath. He held the ECHO device as well as he could with his cybernetic hand, his left clutching his bleeding chest. He was pressed into a crevasse in the rock, almost completely doubled over from his bullet wounds.  
  
"But, hey, what else should I expect from you, right? It's... It's fine. I should have realized you didn't care about me as much as I... Well, you're Handsome Jack, people die around you, that's... a given. I just don't want to die without you knowing how I ... How I feel."  
  
There was the hot sting of tears in his eyes, and he couldn't tell if it was from the pain in his chest, or...  
  
Jack had abandoned him, in the middle of a firefight, after he had tugged Rhys in front of himself to block the oncoming bullets. Used him as a fucking meatshield and dropped him onto the dirt when things started to look bad. After the shock had died down, Rhys had begged, _pleaded_ with the CEO to not just leave him there.  
  
And look where that had gotten him.  
  
"I knew before I even got down here that you-- you were a monster. You kill and mutilate and manipulate for _fun_. That's so unbelievably fucked up, but you know, part of me didn't... Didn't _care_. Because you paid attention to me. My hero, the man I've looked up to for years, wanted _my_ help. He asked _my_ opinion. He... He wanted me. _You_... wanted me."  
  
Another breath; he was starting to feel light headed at this point, avoiding looking at his bloodstained front, preventing himself from becoming even more nauseous than he already was.  
  
"I thought that, maybe, I was worth something to you. I knew... that there were people you loved in the past, that you couldn't be totally heartless. We were partners, friends... even... Well, I thought..."  
  
Rhys shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had truly wanted to believe that. There were small moments with one another, things that he thought meant something. Shared laughter. A warm hand on his shoulder. Even being granted the privilege of seeing Jack, the real Jack. The deep, broken mark embedded in his skin, and Rhys fooled himself into thinking that he was somehow special to Jack, that he got to see--  
  
"I fell for you," he hiccuped, trying to swallow down that taste of blood. "I didn't mean to. I didn't want to... But goddamnit, I fell in love with you, overlooking your personality flaws, your actions, almost every fucking red flag that popped up-- and I can hear your stupid smug voice already, 'Oh, of course you did, kiddo. I'm great. Everyone loves me, bla, bla, bla', and all I can think at this point is that at least _you're_ safe, at least _you_ won't be hurt, I'm bleeding out here on this miserable rock so _you_ can live--"  
  
Rhys coughed, squeezing his bloodsoaked hand into a fist with another wave of pain.  
  
"This is so fucking stupid,"  
  
Rhys chuckled weakly. His vision started to go blurry, and he could feel himself slipping.  
  
"I'm... so... stupid-- I'm spending my dying breaths telling a man that gives no shits about me that I'm in love with him. Great way to use up my time down here, right? Right?"  
  
He let his eyes slide closed, his arms falling uselessly to the side.  
"I know it's... wishful thinking, but all I want is to know you'll hear this, and you won't... Forget me, okay? Because I'll never forget you. You're so charismatic, brilliant, I..."  
  
He felt the tears before he even realized they were finally falling, mixing with the blood dribbling down his chin.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you."


End file.
